1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for identifying and verifying the authenticity of certain articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to holographic patches or tags which are applied to garments and other articles and used for identifying and verifying the authenticity of the articles. Further, the present invention relates to methods of applying the holographic tags to garments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Holograms, negative images produced on plates using lasers, are well known. Holograms provide visually dramatic, three-dimensional images. When viewed, holograms typically present a colored image in the foreground with a detailed three-dimensional background. Holograms are printed onto a thin plastic such as Mylar.RTM. film. The film is metallized (usually aluminized) to increase its reflectivity.
Holograms have been sold as art pieces and decorations, used on magazine covers, and made a part of various products such as greeting cards and the like. Holograms have also been used as identifying and authenticating indicia on credit cards in order to deter credit fraud through copying and duplication of issued cards. The holograms, being made from plastic, are readily integrated into such plastic credit cards.
Holograms are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and readily integrated into plastic credit cards. However, thieves and scam artists cannot readily duplicate identifying holograms from the individual credits cards they obtain. Thus, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce passable counterfeits of credit cards which have holograms in them. The holograms act as identifying and authenticating tags which can be visually checked by, for example, retail merchants.
While holograms have been employed in the credit card industry, their use as identifying tags has not rapidly expanded to other industries. As mentioned above, holograms have been used as decorations. They have also been used for ornamental purposes on textiles, wearing apparel, and the like and various methods have been developed for applying holograms to fabrics. One such method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,040, issued to Fry. Fry discloses a method of adhering a hologram to fabric including the steps of laminating a hologram between a polyester coating and a fabric scrim in order to provide the hologram a protective envelope. The fabric scrim is designed to adhere the hologram to fabric. The resulting enveloped hologram is applied to the subject fabric under heat and pressure.
While Fry discloses a method of applying a hologram to fabric for purposes of ornamentation, Fry does not disclose the use of holograms as identifying and authenticating indicia for garments. Moreover, Fry's method is not completely satisfactory for applying holograms to fabrics and garments. As the amount of trademark licensing and product merchandising increases, there is a need to place authenticating and verifying indicia, such as holographic tags, on garments as a means of deterring copyists and counterfeiters. Also, there is a need for an improved method of applying these tags to fabrics and garments.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an identifying holographic tag which can be used as identifying and authenticating indicia for garments. It would also be desirable to have an improved method for applying a holographic or identifying tag to fabrics and garments.